AHC's Settlement Program organized a series of parenting workshops in June. The first workshop held on June 1st was facilitated by a guest speaker Miriam Sekandi, who led a discussion on maintaining a positive child-parent relationship, improving learning through play, listening and responding to children, reducing family conflict, balancing work and family, and helping your children succeed in school.

On June 16th, AHC collaborated with United Way to facilitate our second parenting workshop. Participants strengthened their understanding of child development and learned new ways to play with and support their child’s development. Newcomer parents received Kid Kit donated by United Way and participated in the information and orientation session.

The final session was held on June 29th, facilitated by the AHC settlement team. Participants learned simple ideas for keeping their children safe and healthy during summer. Some topics included: using child safety seats in your vehicle, bicycle and helmet safety for children, childproofing your home, and teaching your children to make safe choices for themselves.

View images from the parenting workshops below

19 new immigrant entrepreneurs showcased their various products and services, including cultural clothing, artisan crafts, cultural food, handmade jewelry and more!

Through this collaboration, we aimed to: 

1. To promote the economic prosperity of immigrants and Albertans: Through a 19 booth showcase, guests will have the opportunity to support various small businesses, with business owners having lived in Canada less than five years.  
2. To showcase and acknowledge our new entrepreneurs’ achievements: Participants have eagerly and persistently dedicated the last 14+ weeks to taking their business ideas to fruition through the guidance of well-known and experienced facilitators, business consultants, and mentors. This event will celebrate the entrepreneur’s achievements and give them the opportunity to showcase their creativity, products/services to the public.

This is the second year AHC's Business Supports program has collaborated with Explore Edmonton to bring its entrepreneurs as K-Day exhibitors, the first in 2019, with the aim to participate annually.

The list of featured exhibitors:

Roots of Colombia (FOOD)

Maram Vinegar (FOOD)

Dongocorp-Candelice (FOOD)

Mexi Salsas (FOOD)

Mexyavii Corporation (FOOD)

Silver Mines of Taxcos (JEWELRY)

Nepali Jewelry (JEWELRY)

Jean Wenceslas (JEWELRY)

Monarca Shop (JEWELRY)

Mexican soul Crafts and Gifts (CRAFTS)

El Rinconcito de Frida (CRAFTS)

Jorge Rizzi Arts (CRAFTS)

Ethnikutis (CRAFTS)

Asmeret's Designs (CRAFTS)

Barbara IC (CRAFTS)

Quetelle Global Enterprises (CRAFTS)

KYN Apparel (FASHION)

Adoniaa Beauty (FASHION)

Dusandi & Sons Trading (FASHION)

View images from the K-DAYS Urban Market below!

The Afghan Outreach, under the leadership of the Settlement Program, organized a 2nd welcome event for Afghan Newcomers from 12 noon to 2:30 pm on Saturday, June 25, 2022. 

18 Newcomer families were welcomed at the event, attended the orientation session outlining the services that Action for Healthy Communities provided, and interacted with the AHC staff on site.  The attendees also received donations collected from Glenora Rotary Club and Edmonton Food Bank. 

We thank the Glenora Rotary Club and the Edmonton Food Bank for this synergistic collaboration. 

On October 6, 2022, Action for Healthy Communities (AHC) hosted a community forum at Santa Maria Goretti Centre, where community members and leaders gathered together and had a chance to network and learn from each other. The day's theme was "Building Inclusive Communities: A Common Vision." The event aimed to amplify the voices of the local grassroots communities, discuss community issues, learn about their interests and initiatives, and identify potential shared paths forward.

Approximately 93 participants attended the event, comprising members of the different community groups in Edmonton, Government officials, AHC partners, and stakeholders. Ten community booths were showcased during the event, with additional presentations from five grassroots community groups. The ongoing community efforts highlighted in the presentations include mental health support, youth empowerment, senior activities, cultural arts workshops, women's empowerment, and digital literacy. 

The event was closed with an activity gathering the participants' recommendations for the path forward in three areas: grassroots community level, agency level and policy/government/funding level. 

Among the many aspirations expressed by the attendees was the necessity for community-based capacity-building initiatives to be heard, increased funding opportunities, and relationship-building. 

The AHC Community Development Unit will continually connect and work with the grassroots communities in providing guidance and support in implementing their initiatives and plans. If you would like to work with AHC on a community development initiative in your community, please email: communitydevelopment@a4hc.ca. 

Indeed, there is oneness and inclusivity in a community where collaboration and knowledge sharing are its core.

View images from the event below.

AHC takes part in the 43rd Annual BDC Small Business Week

Small Business Week is an annual celebration of Canadian entrepreneurs and their contribution to Canada's economy since 1979. This annual event is organized by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) every third week of October.  

The celebration gathers entrepreneurs (prospective and existing) at conferences, workshops, business pitching competitions, luncheons, and trade fairs across Canada. The goal is to provide them with opportunities to learn, network, share ideas and socialize with fellow business owners and potential investors.  

However, existing entrepreneurs and start-ups struggle to take off in implementing their plans and solving their urgent business needs. This is due to their lack of initial booster, either "in kind" or "indirect cash" support. 

Considering these concerns, AHC's Business Support Program (BSP) joined this year's Nationwide Small Business Week Celebration. A series of activities were organized to meet the needs of Edmonton's local entrepreneurs. Below is the overview of each activity: 

1. Mixer & Tradeshow: Hosted by the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce on October 17, 2022, where BSP clients had a chance to connect and engage in meaningful conversations with exhibitors and co-participants.  
2. Webinar on the Legal Fundamentals of Running a Business in Canada:  Conducted on October 18, 2022 via Zoom with guest speaker Avish Nanda, a legal expert who specializes in civil, commercial, and public law litigation.
3. Webinar on Becoming Ready for Financing: Held via Zoom with guest speaker Colin Christensen, where he discussed in-depth on how to prepare and avail of a business loan. 
4. Pitching Competition: Took place on October 21, 2022, where contestants had a chance to demonstrate and perfect their pitching skills aiming to increase sales and win partnerships. The competition aimed to enhance their business confidence by developing a winning mindset. Eight contenders presented their business ideas in a 2-minute speech to the judges and spectators. Upcycled products, arts and crafts, travel and tours, interior designs, and daycare services were a few of the business ideas presented during the pitching. 

Iris Camacho bagged first place, Areej Allem in second place, Esperance Dongo in third place, and Anne Marie Camara in fourth place.  

All the winners were awarded cash prizes, one-on-one mentoring sessions, and access to training materials, and more. 

View images of the event below. 

On Saturday, December 17, 2022, AHC hosted its annual year-end celebration at the Northgate Lions Recreation Centre.

This multicultural event aims to share, promote, celebrate and educate others about diverse heritages and promote's local business owners in the area. This family-friendly public event featured various fun interactive games, multicultural performances, immersive experiences, food and refreshments. MLA from Edmonton-Centre, David Shepherd joined us to share a holiday message.

As part of this event, participants visited various booths and answered trivia questions, highlighting the Belvedere and Balwin area with the historical cultural and economic diversity within residents, businesses and organizations. To build greater connections, sustainability will occur by creating a stronger foundation of information sharing with all residents and businesses. Communities supporting each other and standing together results in success in accessing services and unleashing the power of the community we live in.

Social interaction through gatherings such as this breaks down unfamiliarity, fear, and isolation and promotes social cohesion and peaceful coexistence amongst diverse community groups and host communities. This event is a platform for provoking meaningful connections to foster social transformation in individuals and communities.

AHC's annual year-end celebration is one of several yearly multicultural gatherings which play an essential role in promoting sustainable social and economic development for future generations as youths, adults, and seniors.

View images from the event below.

It’s been a difficult nearly 18 months as the world has struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic—but as cases drop, restrictions lift, and vaccinations increase, it feels like the world might be finally turning a corner. Still, despite these improvements, vaccination rates have lagged in the newcomer community, as barriers keep people from accessing the COVID-19 vaccines. 

Action for Healthy Communities hosted a Pop-Up Clinic and Family Fun Day on Friday, July 9 and Saturday, July 10, to support increasing vaccine uptake. A hardworking team of AHC staff and volunteers alongside outreach workers from the Edmonton COVID-19 Rapid Response Collaborative (ECRRC) transformed the lower floor of the office into a vaccination clinic, and the parking lot into an impromptu BBQ and dance party, with Kona Ice providing delicious frozen treats on Friday afternoon. A team of Alberta Health Services nurses and administrators ensured clients received their vaccines safely, while interpreters translated all the vitally important medical information into whatever language clients felt most comfortable with. When they were finished getting their vaccines, clients and their families gathered in the parking lot for a free burger, snow cone, music, and fun! 

The event caught the attention of many community stakeholders; Edmonton MLAs Janis Irwin and David Shepherd, and MP James Cummings all came to visit us. On Saturday, Global News Edmonton (2:26-4:20) interviewed Lisa Jane de Gara and Gail Kesslar about the event, asking about how to promote vaccination in the community. 

Over the two days, we vaccinated approximately 75 people, served about 150 burgers, and had the chance to get some face-to-face interaction with our community members.

View the images from the event below!

Claudine Moyo started her connection with Action for Healthy Communities (AHC) when she was registered to attend the Entrepreneurship Supports Program Spring 2020 Level-1 class. At that time, she did an engagement plan showing her dream business and business goals after two years. Later she continued attending the Fall 2020 Level-2 Class.

Her business, which she was able to launch in August of 2019 is called Little Light Home Care Services. Her main reason for joining the program was to get a better understanding of how to run a successful business and have the privilege of having a mentor.

Little Light Homecare is part of a Global Home Health Care industry that offers services to seniors in and around Edmonton, and to those in need. Before the program, Little Light was just an idea but now it is fully operational. It is registered, licensed, has a website and can be found on different social media platforms, and most of all, it’s a business with clients.

“It has given me a new meaning to life and allowed me to work in a field I'm passionate about,” says Claudine. “I have built a legacy for my family and I strongly agree that I gained the confidence to grow, improve and expand my business.”

She learned and acquired the four business tools (Market Research, Marketing Plan, Business Feasibility, and Business Plan); and gained skills, options, aspirations, and motivations on business planning and launching. “I created my own business,” says Claudine, “and I improved my business skills and business operation”. Similarly, the Entrepreneurship support helped her to increase her business-to-business and business-to-customer portfolios.

Her business is now well established and she has received better mentoring support, with a plan to grow, expand and look to possibly offering franchise opportunities for others as well.

When Claudine was asked about her experience with the Entrepreneurship support she said, “I learned how to write a business plan, how to market my business and how to run and operate it. The instructor was very clear and patient with us and taught us to be patient with the process.”

info@littlelighthomecare.ca Phone: (780) 721-6945

Story by: Wubetu Biabeyin

Claudia Ramos, born in Mexico, is the owner of ‘La Granja Foods’, a company offering a range of different Mexican food products such as cheeses, sausages and pork products.

Having a business idea prepared, and previously selling her own products informally, Claudia’s assessment previous to entering the program indicated she had a good basic understanding of her business and so she was assigned into the level ll of our entrepreneurship support program, where she participated during the pandemic lockdown.

Claudia first moved to Alberta following her husband’s dream to live in Canada to provide a higher quality of life and brighter future to their children, and in the process she became a business owner herself.

At the beginning La Granja Foods was simply a distraction to keep herself busy while starting her life in Canada. She began using her family recipes to cook, and seeing the acceptance these had in her community’s environment she started selling her own food products. Although informally at first, after joining the ESP she was able to register her business and she’s now selling them in Latin stores around Edmonton.

Currently her main customers are mostly within the Latin American community. However, in the future she seeks to explore other markets as well to continue growing.

And if you’ve ever heard of ‘Los Molcajetes’, that’s Claudia too! She also runs a Mexican food stand where she sells different recipes at very affordable prices from Friday to Sunday.

Follow Los Molacajetes on Facebook to know what they’ll be selling next, and La Granja Foods to know more about her products.

And to hear more stories such as this one make sure to follow us;

Instagram: @a4hc.esp

Facebook: @a4hc.esp

Youtube: AHC Entrepreneurship Support Program

Want to participate in our business training too?

Ariana, owner and creator of Boomballons, and Laura and Margarita, the twins behind Twinscrafting unite forces to bring you creative solutions to the problems you didn't know you had.

This winner team specializes in organizing and taking charge of everything (decorating-wise) in your party. Wether is a birthday party, a wedding, a baptism, a gender reveal, a Wednesday night celebration (because why not?) or a baby shower, these ladies have everything under the sleves to help you celebrate that special moment in your life.

Ariana and Laura, both now bestfriends, met just two weeks before the beginning of our Business Training Program while searching online for other mothers with Spanish-speaking children so their children could practice Spanish together. They then discovered they both had business ideas on the making, and therefore proceeded to take the training together.

Since both of their business are geared towards event planning and organization, on April 2021 they decided to form a partnership to offer more complete party packages to their clients, and with the chemistry and work ethic they posses they couldn't ask for a better partnership.

During the training they were able to access a support network were they can always come back to in the future, as well as gained valuable business skills that they can put in practice while doing their craft.

And now, despite the challenges of being a Full-time entrepreneur with children, in a completely different country, Ariana and Claudia are now able to say that they are able to work on what they love and can call their business their full-time job .

…. and they will soon start to offer workshops to teach others how to create party decorations with the same style that they do

Follow them on their social to see more of their work!

And to hear more stories such as this one make sure to follow us;

Instagram: @a4hc.esp

Facebook: @a4hc.esp

Youtube: AHC Entrepreneurship Support Program

Want to participate in our business training too? Visit our Entrepreneurship Support Program Page to sign up.

Entrepreneur: Karem Velez

Growing up in Mexico, Karem Velez knew from an early age that the world is a very diverse place. Velez also understood that people are equal regardless of their colour, race, and place of origin. It was this understanding that inspired her to start her own company; an organization that aims to empower immigrant women.

The organization — named INCLUSIVE —, specializes in workforce development programs created to specifically help immigrant women succeed in the labour market. The organization provides the tools, strategies and support to help women achieve their goals without losing their cultural heritage by embracing a multicultural environment and developing their skills and abilities.

“My focus is to help them move from where they are to where they want to be,” Velez says.

Having seen the difficulties firsthand, Velez’s passion is to support the immigrant community to adapt and evolve. 

“As an immigrant, I understand and relate to the struggles that individuals and families encounter when starting a new life in a different country.”

Velez says the Business Supports Program (BSP) at Action for Healthy Communities (AHC) “was crucial in the physical manifestation of my dream.”

The program was adjusted to her individual needs and guided her through every step business start-ups required: incorporations, business operations etc. 

“The program provides a clear path full of knowledge and support,” Velez says. 

Currently, Velez is in the process of developing her website and social media platforms. For more information about INCLUSIVE contact Velez at vkaremllara@gmail.com 
For more information about the Business Supports Program email business.supports@a4hc.ca

Article by: Ishita Verma